Title 49—Transportation--Volume 1
PART 1035—BILLS OF LADING
§ 1035.1   Requirement for certain forms of bills of lading.
(a) All common carriers, except express companies, engaged in the transportation of property other than livestock and wild animals, by rail or by water subject to the Interstate Commerce Act are required to use straight bills of lading as prescribed in Appendix A and B to this part, or order bills of lading as prescribed in Appendix A and B to this Part, except that order bills of lading shall:
(1) Be entitled “Uniform Order Bill of Lading” and be designated as “Negotiable” on the front (appendix A to this part);
(2) Indicate consignment “to the order of * * * ” on the front (appendix A to this part); and
(3) Provide for endorsement on the back portion (appendix B to this part).
(b) All such bills of lading:
(1) May be either documented on paper or issued electronically;
(2) May be a copy, reprographic or otherwise, of a printed bill of lading, free from erasure and interlineation;
(3) May vary in the arrangement and spacing of the printed matter on the face of the form.
§ 1035.2   Modification of front of uniform bill of lading.
Notwithstanding any other provision of § 1035.1(a), with respect to the information called for, the front portion only (appendix A to this part) of a bill of lading may deviate from the language prescribed in this part so long as the deviation conforms with approved national standards for the electronic data interchange or other commercial requirements for bill of lading information; provided that no such deviation in the language shall affect the obligations of any shipper to provide information absent the consent of such shipper nor shall such deviation be deemed to alter any rights or obligations conferred by statute or regulation on either carriers or shippers with respect to the preparation or issuance of bills of lading.